Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control calls for public inquiry after ex-aide reveals bribe offer claim
PETALING JAYA: A tobacco control advocacy group has called for an independent public inquiry following claims that a former Health Minister was offered RM50 million to remove anti-smoking provisions from proposed legislation.
The Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control (MCTC) issued a statement responding to recent public remarks by a former ministerial aide, who stated that the minister had been approached with a financial inducement to eliminate the Generational End Game (GEG) provision from the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Bill.
While the offer was reportedly declined, MCTC president Prof. Dr Murallitharan Munisamy said the disclosure raised serious questions about legislative integrity and adherence to legal obligations.
The organization emphasised that any attempt to influence legislation through financial offers constitutes bribery under Malaysian law, and noted that failing to report such attempts could itself be an offense.
Murallitharan stated the matter directly involves the rule of law principle enshrined in the Rukun Negara, which requires all individuals to be subject to legal standards without exception.
The tobacco control body said the revelation reinforces earlier reports suggesting vape industry representatives lobbied parliamentarians and influenced the removal of the GEG provision.
MCTC described these developments as indicating systematic industry interference in public health policy formulation, moving beyond perception into clear public interest territory.
The organisation is requesting that authorities, including the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), immediately launch an independent investigation to examine:
- The parties who allegedly made the offer
- How and through what channels the approach occurred
- Reasons why no official report was filed
- The full extent of industry influence on the legislative process
MCTC emphasised that findings should be publicly disclosed in accordance with transparency and accountability principles.
The council identified structural weaknesses in protecting public policy from harmful industry influence, urging the government to take two key steps:
First, enact a Political Financing Act that would ensure transparency in political contributions, prohibit funding from industries with interests conflicting with public health, and establish effective enforcement mechanisms.
Second, adopt and enforce conduct standards aligned with Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. This would include protecting health policies from tobacco and vape industry interference, ensuring transparency in government-industry interactions, minimizing contact with industries whose interests conflict with public health, preventing preferential treatment through incentives or exemptions, establishing robust conflict-of-interest protections for officials, and applying these standards across executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
Murallitharan characterised the situation as testing the nation’s commitment to upholding the rule of law, political system integrity, and protecting public health for future generations.
He warned that failing to act decisively would signal that industry interference and attempted bribery could occur without consequences.